Simba, Azam clear CAF hurdles

DAR ES SALAAM: TANZANIAN clubs have made a historic sweep in the CAF inter-club competitions, with all four mainland representatives and Zanzibar’s KMKM advancing to the second preliminary round.

Simba SC and Azam FC completed the impressive run on Sunday, joining Young Africans and Singida Black Stars, who had already secured their spots.

Simba progressed with a 2-1 aggregate win over Botswana’s Gaborone United after a tense 1-1 draw at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in the Champions League, while Azam sealed a 4-0 aggregate triumph over South Sudan’s El Merriekh Bentiu, winning 2-0 at Chamazi in a Confederation Cup clash.

They join Yanga, who eased through in the Champions League and Singida Black Stars and KMKM in the Confederation Cup, all of whom booked their places on Saturday.

The next round will be decisive: A win for all five Tanzanian clubs would mark the first time in history the country fields a full set in the CAF group stages. However, only four can progress as Azam face KMKM in an all-Tanzanian showdown.

Simba’s clash was a nervy affair, played behind closed doors.  The Dar es Salaam giants faced intense early pressure from the visitors. Gaborone United created several chances in the opening minutes, but Simba goalkeeper Moussa Camara was composed and denied all attempts.

ALSO READ: Envoys ready CAF return legs

Simba broke the deadlock in the 43rd minute when a foul in the box resulted in a penalty. Jean Charles Ahoua stepped up and calmly converted to put his side ahead.

However, Gaborone equalised in the second half with a penalty of their own from captain Lebogang Ditsele, which levelled the match but not the tie.

Simba’s hard-fought result was enough to see them through. They will now face Eswatini’s Nsingizini Hotspurs in the next round.

In the CAF Confederation Cup, Azam FC secured a dominant 2-0 victory over South Sudan’s El Merriekh Bentiu at home, sealing a comfortable 4-0 aggregate triumph. Goals from Yoro Diaby and Nassor Saadun Hamoud secured the decisive win.

Azam will now face Zanzibar’s KMKM, who advanced after beating Port (Djibouti) 4-2 on aggregate. This all-Tanzanian affair guarantees that at least one of these two clubs will progress to the group stage.

All five Tanzanian clubs have advanced to the CAF inter-club second preliminary round, with Simba SC and Azam FC securing their spots after crucial results in Dar es Salaam yesterday.

This historic achievement sees all five representatives—including Young Africans and Singida Black Stars and Zanzibar’s KMKM—move one step closer to the group stages of the CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup, respectively.

A victory in this next round would mark the first time in history that four Tanzanian clubs reach the group stage as two Tanzanian clubs, Azam and KMKM meet in the next round.

Simba advanced with a 2-1 aggregate win over Botswana’s Gaborone United, following a tense 1-1 draw in their CAF Champions League return leg at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium.

Azam, meanwhile, cruised through with a 4-0 aggregate triumph over South Sudan’s El Merriekh Bentiu, wrapping it up with a 2-0 home victory at Azam Complex in a CAF Confederation Cup clash.

They join Young Africans, Singida Black Stars and KMKM, who booked their tickets on Saturday—Yanga in the Champions League and Singida and KMKM in the Confederation Cup.

This coming round is crucial, as a victory for all four clubs would see all Tanzanian sides reach the group stage for the first time in history.

Simba and Gaborone United match was played behind closed doors. From the first whistle, the visitors Gaborone United showed greater urgency, applying high pressure in the opening 15 minutes.

They created two early chances in the fourth and eighth minutes through Sheikh Sesay and Omphile Ramoagi respectively, but both attempts were denied by Simba goalkeeper Moussa Camara, who remained composed to keep the scores level.

Gaborone United relied on long diagonal balls to switch play, coupled with tight marking and shots from distance as part of their strategy.

In the 30th minute, Gaborone United broke through again. Thatayaone Kgamanyane made a strong run into the box, getting past Simba defenders, but once more Camara was alert, using his footwork to shut down the opportunity.

As the first half neared its close, Simba began to turn the momentum.

Elie Mpanzu drove forward, bypassing Gaborone’s defensive line and found Jean Charles Ahoua on the flank.

Ahoua delivered a cross into the area, where Jonathan Sowah, left unmarked, struck a low shot on target.

Gaborone keeper Thabo Motswagole made the save, pushing the ball back into play, with his defence scrambling to clear.

ALSO READ: CAF delays AFCON ticket sales after crash

However, the ball fell to Morice Abraham, whose attempt to bring it under control was cut short by a challenge from Gaborone’s Sheikh Sesay, leaving the referee with no choice but to point to the spot.

Ahoua stepped up for the penalty and calmly slotted it past Motswagole, who guessed correctly but couldn’t reach the shot. The goal came in the 43rd minute, putting Simba ahead 1–0 going into the break.

As the second half unfolded, Simba launched a swift counterattack.

Yusuph Kagoma cleared a corner from his own box, sending the ball high into the air.

At the centre, Jean Charles Ahoua contested possession with a Gaborone defender, skillfully manoeuvred past the goalkeeper Motswagole but unexpectedly, fired a low shot wide of the target.

In the 64th minute, Gaborone responded with a counterattack of their own.

Thabo Maponde advanced into the box, pursued by Karaboue Chamou, who fouled Maponde, leaving the referee with no choice but to award a penalty.

Gaborone’s captain, Lebogang Ditsele, stepped up and confidently converted the spot-kick, sending Simba goalkeeper Moussa Camara the wrong way to level the score.

It was a tight contest throughout. Battles in defence, midfield and attack and the tension stayed high until the final whistle.

The match ended in a 1-1 draw, but Simba advanced to the next round with a 2-1 aggregate victory.

Following this win, Simba will face Eswatini club Nsingizini Hotspurs, who yesterday eliminated Zimbabwean side Simba Bhora FC. The tie between Nsingizini Hotspurs and Simba Bhora ended 1-1 on aggregate, with Nsingizini advancing after winning 4-2 in the penalty shootout.

Meanwhile, Azam secured a 2-0 victory over El Merriekh Bentiu at the Azam Complex in Dar es Salaam yesterday. Yoro Diaby and Nassor Saadun Hamoud goals to seal the win and a 4-0 aggregate triumph, sending Azam through to the next round of the CAF Confederation Cup.

They will face Zanzibar’s KMKM, who held firm at home with a 2-1 win over Port (Djibouti) on Saturday, advancing 4-2 on aggregate.